Irrefutable (4 page)

Chapter Four

The Lady Dragons were up two to nothing in the bottom of the second inning.

Alex stood outside the fence along the first base line. At nine o’clock the sun was still low enough in the sky that Alex had to use his hand as a visor.

“Rough night?” Rachel said, startling him.

“You could say that.” He hadn’t expected to see her today.

“So, has she spoken to you this morning?”

“Only to tell me I was going to make her late for the game.” He leaned on the fence and propped his elbows on the top. “So, what brings you here?”

“Carmen invited me. She said it would be nice to have someone to watch her play.”

“That’s nice.” Alex said, shaking his head. “I told her I’d be here.”

“What, you told her as you were walking out the door on her prom night? I guess now you can see her point.”

Alex let out a sigh. “I suppose I can.” He folded both arms across the top of the chain link fence and leaned forward to stretch his back.

Rachel rested her arms on top of the fence beside him. “We talked some last night. I think she understands why you have to be gone so much. She doesn’t like it, but she understands.”

“I can’t control when I’m called. I tried to explain that.”

“She is a sixteen year old girl who needs her father.
You’re
all she’s got.” Rachel turned toward Alex. “The teen years are a very emotional time for girls. Trust me, I used to be one. A father is supposed to be there to protect her, to scrutinize her dates and her mother is supposed to be there for support, to act as a buffer between her dad and the boys she brings home. Kids may tell you different, but I think deep down, that’s how they know parents really care.” Rachel looked at Alex for a reaction. “Carmen has neither. She needs to be able to deal with that, to have an emotional outlet. She knows you can’t be there all the time. She just wants you to understand her point of view. That’s all.”

“I do understand. I just don’t know what to do about it.” He kept his gaze on the field, avoiding eye contact, as she continued her speech. Rachel lost something too when Allyson died. She and Carmen had grown very close, helping each other cope with the loss. Too close for Alex. He was a private person, not one to wear his feelings on his sleeve. He had intentionally kept Rachel at arm’s length. He had withdrawn from life after Allyson’s death, choosing instead to put up walls to keep the world out. It took him two years of therapy to realize that those walls had kept his daughter out, as well.

“Are you even listening to me?” Rachel was saying.

“I’m sorry, what?”

“She needs a female influence in her life, someone she can talk to about her feelings, things she can’t share with you.”

Alex stood quietly. He knew she was right. Carmen couldn’t confide in him the way she could a woman. What to do about it was an entirely different question. He wasn’t ready to enter into any kind of relationship.

“I’m honored that she called me and I’m more than happy to fill that role until you find someone.”

“What do you mean, until I find someone?”

“You know what I mean. No one could ever replace Allyson, I’m not saying that. I mean someone to fill that role in the family.”

“Carmen and I are just fine. Besides, I can’t become involved with anyone. I’m not ready.”

“Why, because of Allyson?” Rachel waited for a response but received none. “Alex, it’s been two years. Life goes on, if you let it.”

“Way to swing baby!” Alex shouted. Carmen was at bat. “C’mon baby.”

Carmen looked toward her father then back at the pitcher. Another pitch and the ball flew between shortstop and third. Carmen ran to first, beating the throw from left field. As she settled onto the bag, she smiled and waved at Rachel, but did not make eye contact with her father.

“Good job baby, way to run.” Alex cheered.

“Way to go sweetie.” Rachel shouted to her.

“She told me she would love to see you start dating.” Rachel turned her attention back to Alex.

“I told you, I can’t.”

“Why?”

“Because, it wouldn’t be fair.” Alex realized he was raising his voice.

“To who?”

“To the woman, whoever she may be. No one should have to compete with a ghost.” Alex said softly, “She’s still very much a part of me, you know.”

“She always will be, for Carmen too, but that shouldn’t keep you both from leading a full life. Do you think this is what Allyson would want?”

“Is that why she called you?”

“She called me because she didn’t want to be alone on her prom night. And if she calls again, I’ll be there.”

Alex looked at her. “I know she appreciates it.”

The ball suddenly flew past Carmen and landed in right field. Carmen headed for second. “Run baby run.” Alex shouted.

They stood, not speaking for several minutes. Alex didn’t want to seem rude but Rachel was making him very uncomfortable. It wasn’t just the conversation that made him fidget. It was the way the sun glinted off her rich brown hair, accenting the reddish highlight as the breeze gently blew it across her face. Rachel must have noticed. She offered a slight smile and changed the subject.

“So, on a more serious note,” Rachel smiled, “How much do you know about computers?”

“Computers? I know just enough to get by at work. Why?”

“I’ve got this case I’m investigating; a security breech at a car dealership. Someone hacked into their financial files and stole information on everyone who bought a car there for the past six months. There are several prominent people on the list.”

“How prominent? Alex asked, feigning interest.

“A few doctors, lawyers, some wealthy business people,” Rachel looked at Alex, “a couple of judges and a state senator.”

“I’m guessing this dealership doesn’t sell Hyundai or Kia.” He was suddenly more interested.

“Your guess would be correct.” she said, “It’s the Lexus/Mercedes dealer.”

“And you need to find a computer expert to find out who and how.”

“I’d like to run it by your guys. Do you think they would be able to help?”

“Can’t say. You’d have to ask them, but they could at least point you in the right direction.”

“Thanks, I will.” Rachel paused before changing the subject. “So, Carmen tells me you’re still seeing a therapist.”

“She does huh? She is just a wealth of information, isn’t she?” Alex looked away toward right field, slightly embarrassed.

“It’s nothing to be ashamed of. You’ve been through a lot, and you still have a huge weight on your shoulders.”

“I guess I really don’t have anyone else to talk to. Besides, it wasn’t my choice. The department ordered it after Allyson died. You remember. I guess I just kept going because it became a routine.”

“Well, if you ever need anyone to talk to, I don’t charge by the hour.”

_________

The drive home after the game was the first time Carmen had smiled at him all day.

“She likes you, ya know.”

“She is a friend of your moms, trying to be nice.” Alex looked straight ahead, never taking his eyes off the road.

“Dad, I see the way she looks at you.” Carmen jabbed him on the shoulder with her finger. “You should take her out.”

“What do you mean ‘Take her out’?”

“You know, on a date. Take her for a nice dinner. Go see a movie.”

“Carmen, I hardly have time for you. I certainly don’t need another woman in my life right now.”

“What, like
us women
are too much trouble?”

“You know what I mean.”

“I just wish you could find something to make you smile again. You’re too damn serious.” Carmen frowned as she looked out her window.

“Watch your language young lady.”

“I just think you need to get a life outside of your job. Maybe you’d be less stressed all the time.” Carmen said. “I just want you to be happy.”

At least she was speaking now. Maybe the weekend wouldn’t be a total loss after all.

Chapter Five

The new forensics lab was outfitted with the latest state-of-the-art equipment. Turnaround time for a DNA profile was now twenty-four to thirty-six hours. This morning, Alex got the call.

“Mendez.” Alex answered the phone.

“This is Sean in forensics. I’ve processed this assault kit. We have DNA from semen. I ran it through the state data base but didn’t find a match.”

“What about the needle cap?”

“It was a pretty small sample. Our lab isn’t equipped for detailed chemical analysis. I didn’t want to waste it and not be able to identify it so I sent it to Miami. The only drawback is that outside work is not their priority. It could take a while, probably a couple of weeks.

“Thanks, keep me posted.” He hung up the phone. Staring at nothing, he twisted the wedding ring that had long since worn a groove around his finger. In eighteen years, he had never taken it off.

“So what did they find?” Kathy Samuels asked.

“Semen.”

“Do you have an ID?”

“If they had an ID, do you think I would just be sitting here?”

Samuels was new to the squad. She wasn’t familiar with forensics or investigative techniques. Alex hadn’t taken much initiative to get to know her. He didn’t need to. She was all too eager to share her path to the squad. She had worked patrol for 5 years when she was involved in a shooting, killing a young man. She had been through the required counseling and had finally earned her shot in violent crimes. She still sees the department’s therapist occasionally. For the last two years, she’d looked forward to hanging up her uniform for plain clothes. Now, she was finally working toward her detective badge. This was all divulged on their first introduction.

Her masculine appearance had stirred rumors through the squad. At first, most of the guys weren’t comfortable with a woman in their midst. They didn’t like the idea of having to walk on eggshells. The Violent Crimes Unit was after all, a man’s world. But, as they became used to her presence, she was more like just one of the guys, at least as far as her sexuality was concerned.

Much to his chagrin, Alex had been designated as her mentor. At times, he felt like he was stuck in some cliché, low budget movie about an old detective and a rookie cop. The only difference was he wasn’t retiring in a week.

“Mendez!” Lt. Phelps called from his office door.

“Right here.” Alex shouted back, without getting up. “What does he want?”

“School nurse called. Your girl sprained her ankle, may need an x-ray.”

“Great.” Alex groaned, sliding his hands down either side of his face.

“Want me to go with you?” Samuels asked.

“No, I think I can handle it.”

Alex welcomed the break, but hated that it was at Carmen’s expense. Samuels was well intentioned, but the intensity of her enthusiasm to learn began to grate on him. He was in no mood to explain, in detail, every thought process that had become second nature to him. He grabbed his blazer from the back of his chair and hurried out the door before she could follow.

_________

Rachel sat in front of the desk of Raymond Greer, the general manager of Cypress Village Lexus/Mercedes Benz. As a deputy District Attorney, Rachel had a team of investigators, but she was a hands-on kind of woman. “When did you first learn of the compromise?”

“Our finance manager noticed it on Thursday. That’s when he called you.” Greer said. “We’ve never had anything like this happen before.” He stood from his chair and moved to sit on the edge of his desk. “We just installed new security software in our network.” He obviously had a better view of Rachel from here. He scanned up and down her body as he spoke. His eyes came to rest on her exposed lower legs. His not so subtle grin signaled his approval.

Rachel was an attractive woman. Her brown, shoulder length hair, gracefully framed the striking features of her face. Her high, slightly prominent cheekbones, inherited from her grandfather, a pure Seminole Indian, gave her an exotic look. But, even this angelic face couldn’t keep Greer’s attention.

“Mr. Greer, I’m up here.” Rachel said, snapping her fingers.

“I’m sorry,” he said as he looked up, “but, you’re just an eyeful. Most of the ladies we see in here are, well…plastic, if you know what I mean.”

“Thank you.” Rachel casually pulled the top of her blazer closed. “I need to see personnel files. I need to know if anyone has any special computer skills.”

“As far as I’m aware, we don’t have anyone with that kind of knowledge,” Greer said, “We had the security programs installed by a tech company.”

“What’s the name of the company?”

“I.T.S. Solutions, I believe, out of Tampa.”

“And when was that?” Rachel took notes in a spiral notebook.

“Six weeks, maybe a couple of months ago.”

“Do you have a work order or invoice? I’ll need a copy.”

“I’m sure we do, I’ll get one of the secretaries to find it.”

“Is everyone here?” Rachel said, signaling that she was ready to begin the interviews.

“I asked everyone to be here at eight, so they should be.”

The two of them made their way to the break room where the employees were waiting.

The room was filled with chatter. Members of the sales staff were gathered around the three small tables, in their own clique, discussing the possible meaning of this meeting. The service staff was mostly standing along the counter that spanned the far side of the room, some working on their second cup of coffee. A whistle came from somewhere among the sales staff as Rachel entered. The division of the classes struck her as obvious, but with the blatant sexist behavior from the sales staff, she couldn’t be sure which was the higher.

“Okay, let’s get started,” Greer addressed the room, “I’m sure most of you are curious to find out what this meeting’s about. It has come to our attention that there’s been a security breech in our computer files. Evidently, a hacker may have gained access to some files of a financial nature on a few of our clients.”

“Eighty four of them, to be exact.” She wouldn’t allow Greer to downplay the significance.

Rachel watched the room for a reaction, a sign that someone was suddenly nervous, a fidget, a cough. She watched for any subtle indication of who she should interview first.

“So, as a matter of procedure, the District Attorney’s office will be conducting an official investigation. This is Deputy DA Rachel Summers. She’ll be interviewing everyone individually. I’ve assured her of our complete cooperation. So, gentlemen,” He grinned at the group of salesman, “Let’s be on our best behavior.”

Rachel half expected him to slap her on the ass.

“Isn’t this a violation of some kind of civil right?” asked a man leaning on the far end of the counter, “I mean here we are, a captive audience, in our place of employment, being forced to answer questions about a crime. Aren’t we going to be read our rights?”

There was muffled laughter from some of the sales staff.

Rachel now had her first target. “Miranda warnings are applicable only if you are under arrest. This is a simply a preliminary interview designed to give us a direction in which to focus our investigation. One of the first things I look for is anyone who becomes suddenly nervous.”

“Guilty.” The word came disguised in a cough, from the back of the room, followed by more laughter.

“What is your name?” Rachel asked.

“Michael.” the man said after a short pause. “Michael Dupree.”

“Well, Mr. Dupree, I’d be more than happy to read you your rights,
if
that’s what you’d prefer.”

More laughter filled the room.

“This is a serious matter,” Greer said, “I suggest ya’ll treat it that way.”

The room became silent.

“The files in question contain confidential financial information on some
very
prominent public figures.” Rachel walked across the front of the room toward the far wall. “To them, I assure you, this is no laughing matter.” She scanned the room again. “Now, we could make the initial assumption that the motive would be identity theft. But, why would someone break into the computer system of a car dealership, rather than say, a bank? My guess would be that in a bank there would be far too many files to weed through, looking for that handful that would make it worth the effort. Whereas a dealership, such as this, that sells luxury cars with six figure price tags, would have a concentrated and far more lucrative pool of potential victims.”

Rachel walked slowly back and forth across the front of the room as she spoke, scanning the room, to be sure everyone was following. “But, my intuition tells me that there is something far more sinister than just identity theft at work here. A large number of these files are on some very powerful people. Whoever is responsible for this is no fool. It would be a huge risk, crossing these people just to steal their credit card numbers. This individual, or individuals, is looking for something, something for which they are willing to risk a great deal to find.”

“So, what would be the payoff?” one of the salesmen asked.

“That,” Rachel replied, “is precisely what we’re here to find out. So let’s get started. The interviews will be conducted in private, in Mr. Greer’s office. Mr. Dupree, since you threw up the first red flag, why don’t we start with you?”

_________